News roundup for Tuesday, July 7, 2026, Day 1,005 since Israel began its 2023 genocide on the Palestinian people.
Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM GAZA:
For some basic info on the Palestine-Israel conflict, go here. For more critical context, skim this, this, and this. To read about a remarkable but underreported, 20-month-long peaceful protest in Gaza against Israel, go here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The number of Palestinians being killed in Gaza is lower since the October 2025 “ceasefire” began, about 270 days ago – about 4 per day, vs. over 100 per day during the 733 days of the “war.” But Israel is actively working (with Trump’s “Board of Peace“) to ethnically cleanse Gaza of its Palestinian population, even as the low-level killing continues. Genocide experts, along organizations like the United Nations and Amnesty International, maintain that the genocide is ongoing.
Seven Palestinians, including a child, were killed, and others wounded on Tuesday in separate Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, in the latest violation of an ongoing ceasefire, medical sources said.
United Nations warns of a rise in chickenpox across the Gaza Strip: In just two weeks, OCHAOPT recorded nearly 9,300 reported cases across more than 130 health facilities. The rise in reported chickenpox cases is occurring in a displacement environment already marked by severe overcrowding, deteriorating hygiene conditions, and widespread environmental health hazards.
Israeli navy detains 7 Palestinian fishermen off central Gaza coast
What is the new Gaza administration as Hamas dissolves government? The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) was formed in January 2026 under the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2803 as part of the US-backed 20-point peace plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza. Israel has not allowed the team to enter Gaza yet. The NCAG reports to Trump’s Board of Peace and the UN Security Council. The NCAG’s mandate includes restoring health, education and water services, and maintaining law and order under a unified police force. Hamas has been in power for nearly 2 decades.
DEATH TOLL – GAZA GENOCIDE (tentative):
- At least 1,072 since ceasefire began Oct. 11, 2025 (247 children, 191 women)
- 5 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began – one by friendly fire, and four others incidents during the first three weeks of the ceasefire.
- 73,098 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls) since October 2023
- More statistics below
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM:
Every day, Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem endure dozens of incidents like the ones below, at the hands of Israeli soldiers and/or settlers. For background on the West Bank, read this and this. For information on the significance of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, read this and this.)
Israeli Court Upholds Demolition Order Against Al‑Rifa’iyya School: The Israeli occupation court on Tuesday upheld the demolition order targeting Al‑Rifa’iyya School east of Hebron, rejecting an appeal and clearing the way for the demolition to be carried out within fourteen days.
The court dismissed the appeal despite the fact that the school reportedly serves nearly four hundred students, and is the only educational facility available to the communities it serves.
*NOTE: Israel admits that its construction permit system is highly discriminatory. Since 2016, 95% – 99% of Palestinian requests for building permits have been rejected, according to data provided by the IDF’s Civil Administration.
Israel is drowning the West Bank in hazardous waste. Palestinians are paying the price with their health: Israel dumps some of its most toxic waste on Palestinian land in the West Bank. In places like Hebron, families living near electronic waste dumps face serious health repercussions, with no relief in sight.
Thirty‑nine Palestinian workers have been shot by Israeli occupation forces near the Annexation Wall in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of 2026, the Jerusalem Governorate reported Tuesday, adding that the daily journey to earn a living has become dangerous under Israeli occupation.
Israeli gov’t ‘advanced de facto annexation* at an unprecedented pace,’ rights groups say: Israel advanced plans for 40,064 new settlement housing units over past 3 years, potentially enabling future growth of 160,000 to 200,000 occupiers (i.e. settlers), report says. In 2025 alone, 27,941 units were advanced, more than double the previous annual record.
NOTE: Annexation – acquiring territory by force – is a flagrant violation of international law. As such it can have no effect on the legal status of the territory, which remains de jure occupied. In the context of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), “annexation” means extending Israeli law to areas which are recognized as occupied and treating them as part of the territory of Israel.
Israeli Army Invades West Bank Districts and Abducts Several Residents
Colonizers (i.e. Settlers) Escalate Attacks Across West Bank Districts
Israeli Army Demolishes Homes Across West Bank Districts
DEATH TOLL – WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM (tentative):
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM ISRAEL:
Israel is a tiny country, about the size of New Jersey, with a population smaller than the US state of Georgia – about 10 million (of which about 20 percent are Palestinians), yet it is in the news constantly. As has been demonstrated again and again, however, mainstream media rarely covers Israel news accurately. IAK gets the facts – sometimes from Israeli media sites, where we can get a glimpse inside this country that is rife with turmoil and contradictions, and that receives $63 million a day from America.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Netanyahu Tells CNN: Settler Violence in the West Bank Caused by ‘150 or So Juvenile Delinquents*’
*NOTE: This interview took place right around the time that two Israeli NGOs published a comprehensive, well-documented report on settler violence. Their findings completely contradict Netanyahu’s claims that the violence is the work of “150 or so” teenagers who are brought in from elsewhere, and are being prosecuted for their actions. In reality, Israeli settlers fueled by extremism – have carried out a number of mass attacks or “pogroms.” These well-organized groups aim to destroy the West Bank economy and/or drive out the indigenous Palestinians (including Palestinian Christians). Settlers enjoy impunity – even support and assistance from the Israeli government and military – as they attack Palestinians on a daily basis. Meanwhile Palestinians are not allowed to own weapons.
Dana Bash’s failure to push back in any meaningful way against Netanyahu’s claims is yet another example of mainstream media accepting Israeli talking points, no matter how absurd.**
**NOTE: Ultimately, Americans must decide whom to believe: the Israeli government – and mainstream media that uncritically accepts Israeli talking points – or organizations that collect and report on actual facts (see video below).
RELATED: Human rights reports on Israel-Palestine (regularly updated)
IRAN, LEBANON, & SYRIA – NEWS & HEADLINES:
It can not be overemphasized that Israel is the impetus behind US policies and actions vis-a-vis Iran. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing the US to attack Iran for decades, using lies and deception. Under President Trump, he got his wish.
Israel has invaded Lebanon seven times in the last half century. Between 1978 and 2000, Israel maintained an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon — Hezbollah was formed to fight that occupation.
Although Israel is not at war with Syria, the Israeli army has reportedly carried out over 1,600 violations inside Syrian territory since August 2025, and demanded the demilitarization of southern Syria – but also vowed to permanently occupy some areas.
IRAN
LATEST ESCALATION (in chronological order):
Iran attacks ships after warnings by Iran’s central military command that vessels seeking to transit through the Strait of Hormuz must coordinate with Iran and follow designated routes, or face an “immediate and forceful response.”
US forces launched “a series of powerful strikes against Iran” after Iran targeted commercial ships
OTHER NEWS:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Iran “definitely*” possesses chemical weapons and would “not care a whit about murdering hundreds of thousands of Americans if they could.” “Iran was on the verge of making nuclear weapons. We pushed that immediate threat away,” declared Netanyahu, adding: “We pushed it back, but it’s not over.”
*NOTE: Netanyahu has been “certain” about Iran’s weaponry in the past – and dead wrong each time. Meanwhile, the US intelligence community has been saying for decades that Iran is ten years away from having an intercontinental ballistic missile. Analysts suggest that Iran is more likely to want advanced weaponry since the Israeli-US coalition attacked.
Netanyahu’s lies are a matter of record; he is prime minister of a country whose leaders have perpetrated countless lies to cover for war crimes and aggression (and consistently pass along to Western mainstream media).
Israel has been fighting a war against the truth for decades, especially since October 7th. What Netanyahu calls a “concerted effort to spread vilification and demonization against Israel” is simply the truth (and lies) about Israel’s genocide finally beginning to see the light of day.
US commanders bypassed warnings about outdated intelligence ahead of strike that hit school in Iran, sources say: Though the Pentagon’s target-development platform alerted users that data was old and needed to be re-verified, top military officers chose to disregard this guidance in order to move quickly as the conflict with Iran began. The Feb. 28 strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in the city of Minab, which killed 168 children and 14 teachers, was based on intelligence that dated back more than 10 years.
LEBANON
Netanyahu’s Christian comments “completely fabricated, “aimed at sowing strife”: Lebanese analysts: Netanyahu said in an interview on Sunday, “Christian villages in Lebanon, some of them have actually asked to be annexed to Israel, because we protect them against Hezbollah, Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them, and we do the same things with Christians everywhere.”
Officials in 15 towns in southern Lebanon with Christian populations issued a statement denouncing what analysts said was an effort by Netanyahu to inspire sedition and strife between Lebanese.
RELATED: The Shattered Figure of Jesus Is Not an Exception. It’s a Pattern
Israeli flag spotted on strategic hill overlooking south Lebanon city
DEATH TOLL – WARS ON IRAN & LEBANON (tentative):
- United States: 13 (or more) since Feb. 28, 2026
- Iran: at least 3,636 (1,701 civilians) since Feb. 28, 2026 (another source puts the number at 3,499)
- Lebanon: at least 4,319 people since March 2, 2026
- Arab states: at least 154 (including Palestine, excluding Lebanon)
- Israel: at least 60 people (Iran killed 20 civilians; Hezbollah killed 36 soldiers, 4 civilians)
MORE NEWS & HEADLINES:
‘Let Palestinians live’: Egypt coach wins global praise after emotional speech: Hossam Hassan said his support for Palestinians came from being ‘human’ before any identity or religion.
Red Sea tensions rise as French report claims military base is being built in Somaliland
FIFA declines to sanction Egypt coach Hossam Hassan over Palestinian flag display
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Israeli gov’t defiance of High Court paves way for future disregard of the law
Maher Younis Dies after Spending 40 Years in Israeli Prisons
Israeli command system identified 850,000 targets in Gaza and Lebanon wars
Lebanon says direct damage from Israeli war estimated at $3-4 billion
US needs to move bases from Gulf to Israel, former CENTCOM commander says
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – July 7, 2026*:
- At least 74,277 Palestinians killed, 186,472 injured – including:
- Gaza: at least 73,098 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls), 173,553 injured
- West Bank/East Jerusalem: at least 1,179 killed (~244 children), 12,919 injured
*NOTE: Thousands of remains in Gaza have yet to be identified, and thousands more are still buried under rubble; others are reportedly missing.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – July 7, 2026: ~1,663 – including ~1,139** on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 472 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza, about 52 military and civilians (by one count, there have been 59 victims) in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel (these numbers do not include deaths from the conflicts with Lebanon or Iran).
**NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries of Israelis on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.
- Human rights reports on Israel-Palestine (regularly updated)
- Why Gaza is the world’s most dangerous place for children
- CPJ votes to maintain current definition of ‘journalist’ despite Israeli pressure campaign
- Israel is an apartheid state – and its weird marriage laws show us how
- A new ‘strategic’ plan being pushed by the Israeli settler movement would establish 100 outposts in the heart of Palestinian cities
- Netanyahu claims Israel protects Christians after Israeli attacks hit churches in Lebanon
- Prominent Palestinian Surgeon Reported ‘Near Death’ in Israeli Prison Camp: 2 Articles
- Is America Truly Becoming a “Zionocracy?”
- INTERVIEW – 1,000 days of Israeli genocide, 1,500 Gaza patients died waiting for treatment abroad: Hospital director
- Archive of Israeli War Crimes Contains Over 64,000 Videos
- British Museum made false claims about its removal of ‘Palestine’ from displays
- Huckabee: Israel ‘the 436th congressional district’ of US
- The Gaza Ethnic Cleansing Agenda Continues To Roll Forward
- America’s Hard Left and Right Have Had It With Israel
- Massie Introduces House Resolution to Honor USS Liberty Crew & Declassify Files
